Clearasil. Face washes. Acidic astringents. Creams. Prescription antibiotics. I tried them all in my teenage years, and ultimately the one that worked best was the least acceptable: Time.
So it is with some degree of satisfaction today that I can tell you radishes could soon prove to be the magic bullet that will save today's acne sufferers from the emotional angst that so gripped myself and others in high school halls many years ago.
The key to this potential acne cure is the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes). All of our faces are teeming with this usually benign bacteria, but when a pore becomes clogged, watch out. The clog causes P. acnes to attack skin cells, at which point the body responds in kind with inflammation and white blood cells. Oh, and then a pimple forms.
